Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1885-1890, 1887-01-08

hear it, it was buried SO Deep was Billy's
reply.
Breakfast was got, and as they shut the
cabin door, ringyty! ring! ring! away went
the alarm. They eyed each other. Nick
uttered words which as borne away on the
morning air, sounded like swear words.
Billy was silent and up the trail they went
to The Regulator.
"Guess You didn't set that clock to the
right hour last night" said Nick as Billy
again Went through the operation, just be-
fore retiring.
"Oh yes, | did, you can see the hand is
set at six" answered the younger one as
he held the clock for Nick's inspection.
That night was not very cold one, SO the
timapiece was hung on a nail over the
! head Of the bed.
Both were good sleepers. The night
was far advanced when off wen: the alarm
and promptly in answer to the summons,
they arose and proceeded to prepare their
morning meal. The fire was burning
briskly, chill air. had given place to
warmth and comfort. Nick stretched and
yawned, and then as he lowered his arms,
reached over to the nail. took down the
clock and holding it close to the candle,
exclaimed:
sLook at that, by thunder! its only three
o'clock"
Billy looked, and was convinced.
"Mebbe you don't 'xactly understand
this thing, Billy, an you'd better 1t ma
work a few shifts with her." wa Nick's
suggestion.
All right Nick" replied Billy, AM
nothing more was said aooat it tat
morning as they dolly put in the time till
the working hours.
In the evening, an acquaintance and
neighbor dropped in, remaining till pretty
late. Upon his departure, Nick made
straight for the clock, anl with much
| care and deliberation did the winding and
setting, reached up the mil with Il, but
instead of hanging it up, he let it t.il.
Another dent in its shining case was ad-
ded to the first. A bent had to be twisted
around straight, but the clock had not
stopped, but kept ticking merrily away as
thought no fall had occurred. After
holding it to his ear fer Il full minute,
Nick again essayed to hang it up AMI
did.
When ) in the moraing had arrived, the
eccentric alarm rang Quits startling warn
ing, Nick was the first to respond, as
with lighted match he scrutinized the
face Of his awahener. When he discover
ed the hour, he was wrathy.
"The hanged things no good. its a
fraud. I'll find out what's the matter
with it, or my name amt Mich Weaver"
It was too late to try to sleep more, 50
he arose, lit the fire in the stove and set
about to prepare for tn .4bors o. IA day.
His conclusion, Us Ae EXPRESSED it to Bill,
was:
Guess the burned things dirty, and "a
leetle bilin' II fix it all right
Sunday came, and thu greater part Of
the day was devoted by Mex to the clean
ing Of "the durn thing He got il out Of
ats SHELF as he termed II, and il i sa.u-
ton of soap suds ane concentrated I'VE
boiled it for several hours. Then he took
it out, set it on a stool near the stove to
ssdry out some"
An ~incautious contact with the stool up
set it, tue movement falling to the floor,
where buzzins like a young saw mill,
oon had gathered into its innermost
parts the bits Of string and other small
rubbish with which the floor was Uttered.
For q week Nick poked and pried. jack
knife in hand at the movement of that
clock. At last from out of it he succeeded